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A Brief History of Khubilai Khan

By Jonathan Clements

Authors:

Jonathan Clements

His grandfather was the bloodthirsty Mongol leader Genghis Khan, his mother a Christian princess. Groomed from childhood for a position of authority, Khubilai snatched the position of Great Khan, becoming the overlord of a Mongol federation that stretched from the Balkans to the Korean coast. His armies conquered the Asian kingdom of Dali and brought down the last defenders of imperial China.Khubilai Khan presided over a glorious Asian renaissance, attracting emissaries from all across the continent, and opening his civil service to 'men with coloured eyes' - administrators from the far west. His reign began the glorious Yuan dynasty that ruled over China for only ninety years, but had a profound impact on Asian history, from international trade to cultural revolution. Jonathan Clements's insightful biography into the life and times of one of China's greatest leaders is a fascinating introduction to an important era, uncovering the man behind Marco Polo's mythic portrait.

A Brief Guide to Self-Help Classics

By James M. Russell

Authors:

James M. Russell

From Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, published in 1936, which has sold over 30 million copies to date, to the mind management programme of Professor Steve Peters' The Chimp Paradox, a concise and insightful guide to seventy of the most influential self-help books ever published An entertaining, accessible companion, for readers of self-help books and sceptics alike. The titles include classics on achieving success, confidence and happiness, mindfulness, how to change your life, self-control, overcoming anxiety and self-esteem issues and stress relief. The chronological arrangement of the titles reveals the intriguing story of how early self-improvement titles were succeeded by increasingly personality-based, materialistic titles and shows how breakout classics often influenced other titles for decades to come. Each book is summarised to convey a brief idea of what it has to offer the interested reader, while a 'Speed Read' for each book delivers a quick sense of what each writer is like to read and a highly compressed summary of the main points of the book in question. This is a work of reference to dip into, that acknowledges that some of the most powerful insights into ourselves can be found in texts that aren't perceived as being 'self-help' books, and that wisdom and consolation can be found in the strangest places.

The Beastly Battles Of Old England

By Nigel Cawthorne

Authors:

Nigel Cawthorne

Throughout history the English have been a warlike lot. Often we fight among ourselves - there have been a good few civil wars - and when we were not slaughtering each other, we practiced on our neighbours, the Scots, the Irish, the French . . . When that got too easy, we set off around the world to find other people to fight. This was usually done with a hubris that invited some ludicrous pratfall. In THE BEASTLY BATTLES OF OLD ENGLAND, Nigel Cawthorne takes us on a darkly humorous journey through some of our ill-advised military actions. From the war over a severed ear to a general seeking out his rival's mistresses to even the score, it is a miscellany of insufferable arrogance, reckless gallantry, stunning stupidity, massive misjudgements and general beastliness.

A Brief History of the Private Life of Elizabeth II, Updated Edition

By Michael Paterson

Authors:

Michael Paterson

Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning British monarch. A personally quiet, modest and dutiful person, she is far better-informed about the lives of her subjects than they often realize. She has known every Prime Minister since Winston Churchill and every American President since Eisenhower. Yet what of the woman behind the crown?This book seeks to take a new look at this exhaustively-documented life and show how Queen Elizabeth became the person she is. Who, and what, have been the greatest influences upon her? What are her likes and dislikes? What are her hobbies? Who are her friends? What does she feel about the demands of duty and protocol? Is she really enjoying herself when she smiles during official events? How differently does she behave when out of the public eye? Examining the places in which she grew up or has lived, the training she received and her attitudes to significant events in national life, it presents a fresh view of one of recent history's most important figures.In recent years, Queen Elizabeth has become the longest-reigning monarch in our history and has cut back on commitments. Nevertheless she is still very active and has made some wise decisions about who takes over a number of her duties.

A Brief History of Italy

By Jeremy Black

The Battered Body Beneath the Flagstones, and Other Victorian Scandals

By Michelle Morgan

Authors:

Michelle Morgan

'Ghoulishly entertaining' Jacqueline Banerjee, Times Literary SupplementA grisly book dedicated to the crimes, perversions and outrages of Victorian England, covering high-profile offences - such as the murder of actor William Terriss, whose stabbing at the stage door of the Adelphi Theatre in 1897 filled the front pages for many weeks - as well as lesser-known transgressions that scandalised the Victorian era.The tales include murders and violent crimes, but also feature scandals that merely amused the Victorians. These include the story of a teenage man who married an actress, only to be shipped off to Australia by his disgusted parents; and the Italian ice-cream man who only meant to buy his sweetheart a hat but ended up proposing marriage instead. When he broke it off, his fiancée's father sued him and the story was dubbed the 'Amusing Aberdeen Breach of Promise Case'. Also present is the gruesome story of the murder of Patrick O Connor who was shot in the head and buried under the kitchen flagstones by his lover Maria Manning and her husband, Frederick. The couple's subsequent trial caused a sensation and even author Charles Dickens attended the grisly public hanging.Drawing on a range of sources from university records and Old Bailey transcripts to national and regional newspaper archives, Michelle Morgan's research sheds new light on well-known stories as well as unearthing previously unknown incidents.

Blueprint

By Lucy Maddox

Authors:

Lucy Maddox

From birth to adulthood, Blueprint tells you what you need to know about how you became who you areHave you ever wondered how your early life shaped you? From beginning to say simple words like 'mama' and learning how to walk around unaided, to the first day of school and forming new friendships, everyone has been a child. The roots of our adult selves go right back to our first experiences. How we think, act and interact is influenced by our early years, yet most people don't know the key findings from the juiciest child development studies that can give us insight into our adult selves. Weaving together cutting edge research, everyday experience and clinical examples, Dr Lucy Maddox explains how we develop from an unconscious bundle of cells floating about in the dark of the in uterine environment to to a fully grown complex adult, revealing fascinating insights about our personality, relationships and daily lives along the way.

The Best Of London Parks and Small Green Spaces

By Louise Read, Simon Read

Authors:

Louise Read, Simon Read

'A fully comprehensive guide . . . includes information and tips that even the park officers do not know about!' - What's on in London'The Best of London Parks is a guide to more than 70 green spaces, with details of all their sporting facilities: from horse riding to Aussie rules football' - The TimesLondon is one of the green cities in the world with thousands of acres of parks. There is a wealth of inexpensive, top quality facilities in the Parks that are often not known about even by the people who live near to them. These include numerous sports such as tennis, rugby, football, golf and bowls. There are gyms and athletics tracks, free playgrounds and paddling pools for children and clubs for their parents to meet and relax together. Every park in central London is covered. For each of these famous parks, there is a chapter detailing their history and all they have to offer. The chapters have something for all interests from the price of bacon butties, to rare goats (with frost-proof ears), to tennis courts, to boating. The information includes a brief historical background, how to get to the park, the opening times of all facilities and costs. Each park has a list of highlights and nearby places of interest and the larger parks include a map.

A Brief Guide to Business Classics

By James M. Russell

The Beautiful Flower Dot-to-Dot Book

By Gareth Moore

A Brief History of Atlantis

By Stephen P. Kershaw

Authors:

Stephen P. Kershaw

The Atlantis story remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic tales from antiquity, and one that still resonates very deeply with the modern imagination. But where did Atlantis come from, what was it like, and where did it go to?Atlantis was first introduced by the Greek philosopher Plato in two dialogues the Timaios and Kritias, written in the fourth century BC. As he philosophises about the origins of life, the Universe and humanity, the great thinker puts forward a stunning description of Atlantis, an island paradise with an ideal society. But the Atlanteans degenerate and become imperialist aggressors: they fight against antediluvian Athens, which heroically repels their mighty forces, before a cataclysmic natural disaster destroys the warring states. His tale of a great empire that sank beneath the waves has sparked thousands of years of debate over whether Atlantis really existed. But did Plato mean his tale as history, or just as a parable to help illustrate his philosophy?The book is broken down into two main sections plus a coda - firstly the translations/commentaries which will have the discussions of the specifics of the actual texts; secondly a look at the reception of the myth from then to now; thirdly a brief round-off bringing it all together.

A Brief History of Florence Nightingale

By Hugh Small

Authors:

Hugh Small

Praise for Small's earlier work on Nightingale: 'Hugh Small, in a masterly piece of historical detective work, convincingly demonstrates what all previous historians and biographers have missed . . . This is a compelling psychological portrait of a very eminent (and complex) Victorian.' James Le Fanu, Daily TelegraphFlorence Nightingale (1820-1910) is best known as a reformer of hospital nursing during and after the Crimean War, but many feel that her nursing reputation has been overstated. A Brief History of Florence Nightingale tells the story of the sanitary disaster in her wartime hospital and why the government covered it up against her wishes. After the war she worked to put the lessons of the tragedy to good use to reduce the very high mortality from epidemic disease in the civilian population at home. She did this by persuading Parliament in 1872 to pass laws which required landlords to improve sanitation in working-class homes, and to give local authorities rather than central government the power to enforce the laws. Life expectancy increased dramatically as a result, and it was this peacetime civilian public health reform rather than her wartime hospital nursing record that established Nightingale's reputation in her lifetime. After her death the wartime image became popular again as a means of recruiting hospital nurses and her other achievements were almost forgotten. Today, with nursing's new emphasis on 'primary' care and prevention outside hospitals, Nightingale's focus on public health achievements makes her an increasingly relevant figure.

A Brief History of France, Revised and Updated

By Cecil Jenkins

Authors:

Cecil Jenkins

When we think of France, we tend think of fine food and wine, the elegant boulevards of Paris or the chic beaches of St Tropez. Yet, as the largest country in Europe, France is home to extraordinary diversity. The idea of 'Frenchness' emerged through 2,000 years of history and it is this riveting story, from the Roman conquest of Gaul to the present day, that Cecil Jenkins tells: of the forging of this great nation through its significant people and events and and its fascinating culture. As he unfolds this narrative, Jenkins shows why the French began to see themselves as so different from the rest of Europe, but also why, today, the French face the same problems with regard to identity as so many other European nations.

Back, Sack & Crack (& Brain)

By Robert Wells

Authors:

Robert Wells

A story that brings tears to your eyes, in more ways than one. It touches you so much you it makes you want to cross your legs in sympathy - Nev Fountain, writer at Dead Ringers, author of PainkillerRob Wells has spent much of his adult life coping with chronic pain of different kinds - an embarrassing bowel problem in his early 20s, recurring testicular pain in his late 20s and 30s, and back problems requiring spinal surgery in his early 40s. Consistent through these experiences has been a feeling of being passed from pillar to post by the medical community, seemingly at a loss to explain the cause of these issues, or to find a lasting solution for them. This hilarious and brutally frank graphic memoir tells Rob's story, taking us through emergency surgery for a misdiagnosed twisted testicle, the extremes of weight loss and weight gain, the insides of far too many public toilets, and having to resort to walking with a cane. As Rob's back, sack and crack all became causes for concern so too did his brain, as his recurring problems unsurprisingly left him with depression and agoraphobia.This is the warm and witty story of a man's battle with his own body, and with the medical industry that couldn't quite appreciate the problem. For anyone who has ever felt let down by their doctors, or who has suffered with chronic pain that shows no sign of subsiding, Rob Wells bravely invites you to really get to grips with his balls.

Bright Minds and Healthy Bodies

By Hilda Glickman

Authors:

Hilda Glickman

Your children cannot be at their best without the right food. Their health and wellbeing depend on it. This book will show you how the most nutritious food can help your children:· Build better brains and bodies· Concentrate better at school· Improve learning and memory· Sleep well at night· Balance their blood sugar for fewer mood swings· Have more energy· Suffer less from colds and infections

The Bacon Jam Cookbook

By Eat 17

Authors:

Eat 17

BACON ME CRAZY!Eat 17 is a small, independently-owned and much-loved group of eateries and convenience stores based in east London. It was started by James Brundle and Chris O'Connor, two brothers in their early twenties, who, with only £5,000, transformed a run-down off-license in Walthamstow into a multi-million-pound retail revolution and world-class brand.Eat 17's two shops are London fixtures, and the brothers recently took out a lease on a third site. Eat 17 has also recently started selling to a supermarket chain in Hong Kong and on mainland China.The Bacon Jam Cookbook, as well as providing many recipes from Eat 17 and their suppliers, also describes what the brothers have achieved and how. It is also, incidentally, a paean to bacon - (just about) everyone's favourite foodstuff. http://www.eat17baconjam.co.ukhttp://www.eat17.co.uk/

A Brief History of the Martial Arts

By Jonathan Clements

Beat IBS

By Hilda Glickman

Authors:

Hilda Glickman

Are you suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Do you have episodes of wind, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea? If so, this probably means that your digestive system is not functioning properly and you need to find out why. Based on proven methods applied in her own practice, Hilda Glickman discusses the symptoms of IBS, shows you how to test at home for the possible causes and looks at how you can improve your overall health through simple changes to your diet. Written in a clear, accessible style, this book offers a five-step plan that will enable you to ·Find out and eliminate what should not be in your digestive tract ·Add in what should be in the digestive tract·Facilitate the reintroduction of beneficial bacteria·Heal and strengthen your digestive tract ·Learn how you should eat in order to maintain a healthy digestionYour digestive system doesn't exist on its own. If it is not functioning correctly your overall health will be adversely affected. This book will show you how to heal your gut, improve your health, and prevent further problems.

The Beekeeper's Field Guide

By David Cramp

Authors:

David Cramp

This guide is a diagnostic tool and an aide memoire for the hobbyist and for the professional beekeeper, who may know what to do but will at times need the information close to hand. It includes: - A troubleshooting guide to problems with colonies and queen bees - A guide to the field diagnosis, treatment and control of diseases - Seasonal apiary management checklists - Hive product harvesting checklists - The beekeeper's ready reckoner The second and revised edition of this fully illustrated and handy guide to the apiary brings the science and craft of beekeeping to beekeepers right where they need it - in the field with the bees.Contents: Preface; List of figures; List of photographs; List of tables; Picture credits; Introduction; Part A: Setting up an Apiary; Part B: Crops, Trees and Plants for Bees; Part C: Troubleshooting Guide to Field Operations; Part D: Swarm Prevention and Control; Part E: Queen Bees; Part F: Honey Harvest Procedures; Part G: Hive Checks; Part H: Pests and Diseases; Part I: A Beekeeper's Ready-reckoner; Part J.

A Brief History of the British Army

By John Lewis-Stempel, Jock Haswell

Authors:

John Lewis-Stempel, Jock Haswell

The story of the British Army has many sides to it, being a tale of heroic successes and tragic failures, of dogged determination and drunken disorder. It involves many of the most vital preoccupations in the history of the island - the struggle against Continental domination by a single power, the battle for Empire - and a cast pf remarkable characters - Marlborough, Wellington and Montgomery among them. Yet the British, relying on their navy, have always neglected their army; from the time of Alfred the Great to the reign of Charles II wars were fought with hired forces disbanded as soon as conflict ended. Even after the stuggles with Louis XIV impelled the formation of a reulgar army, impecunious governments neglected the armed forces except in times of national emergency. In this wide-ranging account, Major Haswell sketches the medieval background before concentrating on the three hundred years of the regular army, leading up to its role in our own time. He presents an informed and probing picture of the organization of the army, the development of weaponry and strategy - and the everyday life of the British soldier through the centuries.John Lewis-Stempel has brought Major Haswell's classic work right up to date by expanding the section on the dissolution of empire to include a full account of Northern Ireland and the Falklands War. He has added a new chapter to cover the Gulf War, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq; also the increasing role of special forces and the amalgamation of regiments.